Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Nov 26 2006 (IANS) A bath
in divine dew, sunshine, herbal soup, joss-stick smoke or incense is a
Tibetan tradition for health and longevity. Sitting in a room lit with
homemade joss sticks and incense is just one of the ways Tibetans bathe.
According to the Tibetan medical code, there are a myriad ways to cleanse,
build physique and improve fitness. The most popular cleansing rituals
include river baths, dips in medicated water and exposing the body to steam,
sunshine or scents. The seventh Tibetan month is considered the best season
for baths. That is when the rains end, river water temperature begins to
pick up and plants ripen. According to an ancient belief, this is when
the deity in charge of medicine descends to earth to gather his herbs.
A bright star called Garma Duiba is believed to be the incarnation of the
deity, who appears for seven days in early autumn. All water receiving
his light becomes dew. Taking a dip in the dew will help build one's health
and wipe off sins. The practice also marks the Bathing Festival in Tibet
during which people rush to rivers, especially at night, when the deity
star appears in the sky. The five-taste dew is a soupprepared with cypress and azalea leaves and three kinds
of medicinal herbs. The soup is boiled and the steam produced provides
the smoke for bathers.Tibetans believe this helps blood circulation and
the kidney.Research and training have evolved more herbal combinations
to treat diseases like skin ailments, arthritis and nerve disabilities.
In recent years, Tibetan medical circles have been encouraging the general
public to adopt the baths. Though the therapy is useful, very few people
outside Tibet and the Tibetan diaspora are aware of it.

"Tibetan incense, medicinal powder, and
Tibetan 'precious pills' are ingreat demand here," said one police officer who asked not to be
named."People believe that it can prevent the virus. And SARS hasn't spread
to Tibet."Radio Free Asia-May 7, 2003